Page 82 of Dead Vengeance

“Very okay,” Ted mutters. “Too okay. But as he was in the hospital last night, I need you to let me know what happened so I can avoid… another situation like you’ve just witnessed.” He drops down into his chair and raises an eyebrow at me, like somehow Raul threatening to sue him was my fault. When I say nothing, he vomits out, “Well, what happened then?”

“Tree,” I tell him.

“Tree?” he asks.

“Tree,” I confirm. “Tree, um, in Arch-er-er-Mr Gravely’s yard. Fabian just ran into it.”

Ted blinks. “He ran into it?”

“Yeah.”

He circles a hand in the air. “Like he wasn’t watching where he was going, or…”

“N-no, he saw it.”

“Like tripped and fell?” he tries.

“No, like… ran. Ran right into it. Got a run-up from across the yard and threw himself headfirst against the trunk.”

He barely reacts, only narrows his eyes a little more than they were already narrowed, which was quite a bit, actually. “Was he possessed?”

“Not that I know of.” I offer a shrug as proof of my ignorance.

“He just ran into the tree?”

“Yeah. That’s right. Just ran into it. Knocked himself out.”

“Riiiiight.” He pushes his fresh and unwritten-on sheet of paper away and turns to his keyboard. “Okay, you’re free to go. Have a great day.”

“Uh. Okay. Thank you. You too.”

My hand’s already on the door when he says, “Oh. And congratulations. You’ve been promoted. Again. You’re now Executive Senior Spirit Extraction Specialist.”

Senior to whom, I wonder, as I look around the empty space. But all I feel is that money in my pocket, and the excitement of seeing Archer again, so I throw Ted another thanks then jog downstairs, relieved that this time it’s going to be just me and Archer and our nice morning together. No Raul. No Fabian. Just a lovely morning with my hot client, who I’m determined to make my boyfriend today.

And the best way to do that?

I’m going to kill that thing in his attic.

I’m going to impress him with my spirit-killing skills, and then I’m going to ask him out on a proper date. I’ll take him somewhere nice with this bonus I just got.

I’m grinning ear to ear as I step into the sunshine, realising that this job might actually be one of the greatest things that’s ever happened to me.

I can feel it in every inch of me—today is going to be a wonderful day. The best day. The most exciting and fun day I’ve had in years.

Just as soon as I kill this monster.

twenty-four

Reality Settles

Archer

Eggs… Bacon… Liam…

Liam.

Damn it, he’s sexy. I cannot stop replaying last night in my mind, over and over and over.